Developer: Chillsters Studios
Publisher: Chillsters Studios
Platform: iOS, Windows Phone, Android
Paddlin’ out – Review
RUN! THEY’RE EVERYWHERE! Apps are swarming our phone and I reckon there are almost more apps than shoes. We have apps for cooking, checking the weather, finding a date and of course, enjoying ourselves whilst waiting, with a game. Paddlin’ Out got our attention and the rather easy gameplay gets you hooked for a few minutes. Read on if you want to find out more!
Story
Imagine a world with dogs. Not just normal dogs, but kayaking ones. Paddlin’ Out takes you to a river and there you are: a sweet doggie, enjoying the nature and paddling nicely. Suddenly you notice that the river is filled with lily pads, tons of wooden crates and … a crocodile. The main objective of one of the game modes is to paddle as fast as you can and to stay away from those pointy teeth.
It would’ve been nice if the developers added an intro because there isn’t anything story wise implemented. You get to choose which game mode you want to play and off you go.
Graphics
The graphics are quite basic but are nicely finished. The only scenery you’ll get to see are the items in the water and the greenish banks. The kayak and the dog have quite bright colours and seem to stand out quite nicely with the environment. The crocodile is graphically actually quite funny, although you’re dead when you get to see him. RIP Rover.
Sound
The game doesn’t have any music but there are a few sound effects present. You can hear the dog, Rover (that’s the name I gave him) paddle and you can hear the coins or clocks *pling* when you sail into one. The last sound effect you’ll hear is when the crocodile, Dundee (pun intended), eats you.
Gameplay
Paddlin’ Out is an arcade game in which you have to run away from the bad Dundee. You control Rover by tapping left and right on the screen. You’ll see your loyal friend paddle straight ahead if you’re tapping is balanced. Steering left or right is tapping more to the left and, you guessed it, to the right. That’s everything you need to know about the keys.
There is a demo available with one game mode, or you can buy the game and then you get three modes. The game mode that’s available for everyone is the ‘Arcade’ mode. You start out in the river and you get the message: ‘ESCAPE THE CROCODILE’. Ok.. START TAPPING! Tap tap tap until your fingers fall off, and believe me, they will. You can collect coins on the way, for a bigger score! This might sound easy but there are quite some obstacles on your way to freedom. There are wooden boxes that are floating in the water (evil polluters) which will slow you down a bit if you hit them. The other nasty bit are the lily pads that will slow you down for a bit (evil nature). Last but not least, there are bombs (evil bomberman)! Sailing into one of these will kill you.
There is no end to this escape, you keep on paddling… Although things might speed up if you find some gasoline. Your kayak changes into a speedboat and … there you are, cruising the Nile… for a short limit of time and then it’s back to kayaking!
The second game mode is the ‘Time Attack’. Evil Dundee is leaving you alone, but now is time your enemy. Gather clocks while you paddle and avoid stuff. The last mode is ‘Carnage’. You are put on a waterfall-like part of the river and rubble will come ‘falling’ down. Avoid it and you’re fine … FOREVER.
The game is quite nice for a few minutes but your fingers will beg you to stop then. It would’ve been nice if the scenery would change a bit whilst progressing the river, or if you had to take a turn while avoiding and paddling. It would really take it to the next level.
Conclusion
Paddlin’ out is an arcade game with three game modes (or one if you play the demo) and that is quite fun for a bit. Your fingers get a nice workout and you’re protecting Rover from Dundee (if you don’t get the names, it means that you didn’t read the review… shame on you!). The graphics are nicely done but there are only a few sounds implemented, which is kind of a shame. The gameplay is easy and hooks you for a while. It would’ve been nice if the developers changed the scenery a bit in the ‘Arcade’ mode or that there were some turns now and then. Nevertheless, it’s a fun game to have on your device!
Paddlin' out - Review,
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